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Brass band concerts.
The Constitution Brass Quintet offers two programs — the “Summer in the Park” and “Civil War” brass band concerts.
The “Summer in the Park” concert features American music of the past 150 years as played in the gazebo on almost every Vermont town green since around 1850. The “Civil War” concert features music and historical commentary about the Vermont town bands that enlisted as regimental bands and marched off to war.
Jo Anne Edwards, trumpet; Chris Rivers, trumpet; Tom Whiney, horn; John Mead, trombone; Bill Keck, tuba.
Both programs are family programs, appropriate for all ages. The programs are modified for different age groups.
$750 to $1,500 depending on the length of program and number of performers. A drummer is frequently added for the Civil War program.
Almost every Vermont village of a few hundred people or more had a band and bands ranged in size from five or six players on up to about 40 players. They played for all the important events in town including picnics, parades, concerts on the green, funerals, and boat rides on Lake Champlain.
For almost three-quarters of a century—from about 1850 when valves were first invented until after WWI, when the phonograph and radio took over—band concerts on the green were an important part of the American family’s social life, and the tradition continues to this day in many Vermont villages. There is quite a wealth of information available about the history of village bands in Vermont and the CBQ includes musical commentary and stories about the local bands of the past. Bands were favored family entertainment because they played a wide variety of music to please everyone in the family and the CBQ includes popular music from the 18th century to the present.
The Civil War program effectively resurrects for the audience the intense feelings of the Civil War through the quintet's authentic renditions of the inspiring marches, lilting waltzes and heart-rending songs as they were performed by the brass bands and sung by the troops on both sides of the conflict. Printed lyrics are provided and the audience is encouraged to sing along on familiar songs. In addition, well-researched historical commentary is presented to enhance the listener's experience, featuring stories and letters from Vermonters.
Jo Anne Edwards
401 Maple Hill Road
Johnson, VT 05656
802-279-8673
jedwards60@comcast.net
http://home.comcast.net/~jedwards60/